[This story contains spoilers from the season two finale of The Gilded Age.]
In HBO’s period drama The Gilded Age, the character of Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) offers a solitary glimpse into the life of the Black upper class in New York City in the 1880s. Yet in season two, that contextual lens is expanded when the secretary and aspiring journalist, just one generation removed from slavery, ventures to the South and witnesses both the progressive educational strides made by and for African Americans at the dawn of the establishment of historically Black colleges and universities, as well as the social prejudices that threaten their existence.
“Peggy gets to explore so many different textures of the Black world this season, from going to Tuskegee, to meeting Sarah Garnet and seeing the community organizing that was happening during that time, and getting to see a Black social gathering for the fireworks at the Brooklyn Bridge, which was one of the first in the series,...
In HBO’s period drama The Gilded Age, the character of Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) offers a solitary glimpse into the life of the Black upper class in New York City in the 1880s. Yet in season two, that contextual lens is expanded when the secretary and aspiring journalist, just one generation removed from slavery, ventures to the South and witnesses both the progressive educational strides made by and for African Americans at the dawn of the establishment of historically Black colleges and universities, as well as the social prejudices that threaten their existence.
“Peggy gets to explore so many different textures of the Black world this season, from going to Tuskegee, to meeting Sarah Garnet and seeing the community organizing that was happening during that time, and getting to see a Black social gathering for the fireworks at the Brooklyn Bridge, which was one of the first in the series,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Brande Victorian
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This article contains spoilers for The Gilded Age season 2 episode 5.
The Gilded Age has woven the story of Black New Yorkers into the larger fabric of its depiction of 1880’s society. Season 2 expands on this foundation by also showing a slice of what life was like in the South during the same period.
Peggy (Denée Benton) is very eager to cover the most important stories of the day for T. Thomas Fortune’s (Sullivan Jones) newspaper. Covering the Red Cross’s relief work last season has also whet her appetite for traveling beyond the city. During season 2 the opportunity to cover a big and meaningful story presents itself when Booker T. Washington offers Peggy and Fortune the opportunity to cover the opening of a new dormitory at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
The Tuskegee Institute, now called Tuskegee University, was founded in 1881 just two years before the main plot of the series begins.
The Gilded Age has woven the story of Black New Yorkers into the larger fabric of its depiction of 1880’s society. Season 2 expands on this foundation by also showing a slice of what life was like in the South during the same period.
Peggy (Denée Benton) is very eager to cover the most important stories of the day for T. Thomas Fortune’s (Sullivan Jones) newspaper. Covering the Red Cross’s relief work last season has also whet her appetite for traveling beyond the city. During season 2 the opportunity to cover a big and meaningful story presents itself when Booker T. Washington offers Peggy and Fortune the opportunity to cover the opening of a new dormitory at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
The Tuskegee Institute, now called Tuskegee University, was founded in 1881 just two years before the main plot of the series begins.
- 11/27/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
“The Gilded Age” Season 2 may begin with embroidered hats and Easter festivities, but co-showrunner Sonja Warfield gave the warning for viewers — new and old — to hold onto those hats as the season progresses.
Created by Julian Fellowes, who has experience with period drama from his work on the sprawling “Downton Abbey” series, took his detailed storytelling from Britain to America to weave a complex tapestry of storylines set around the late 1800s. Last season introduced young heroines Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) and Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), who become fast friends as they both moved to New York to take their changes in the city’s social scene. Marian moved in with her two aunts who live across the street from George Russell (Morgan Spector) — a railroad magnate — and his ambitious wife Bertha (Carrie Coon), who will risk anything and everything to move higher and higher up in society, despite the...
Created by Julian Fellowes, who has experience with period drama from his work on the sprawling “Downton Abbey” series, took his detailed storytelling from Britain to America to weave a complex tapestry of storylines set around the late 1800s. Last season introduced young heroines Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) and Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), who become fast friends as they both moved to New York to take their changes in the city’s social scene. Marian moved in with her two aunts who live across the street from George Russell (Morgan Spector) — a railroad magnate — and his ambitious wife Bertha (Carrie Coon), who will risk anything and everything to move higher and higher up in society, despite the...
- 10/30/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Fans of HBO original series The Gilded Age have been waiting patiently since March 2022 to find out what happens next in the battle between New York’s Old Money and Nouveau Riche.
Season two continues the ensemble format established in season one by centering the storylines of the Van Rhijins and Russells plus the stories of their respective household members. Peggy Scott’s plotline takes a deeper look into African-American society beyond the city. There’s also a new cast of guest stars and supporting characters creating tension for our established characters.
Season one left off with George Russell (Morgan Spector) successfully avoiding financial ruin because of the railroad accident. This season, George’s employees are growing frustrated with working long hours in the steel mills while George is concerned that the possibilities of strikes and boycotts will cost him his own livelihood and those who depend on his railroad company for theirs.
Season two continues the ensemble format established in season one by centering the storylines of the Van Rhijins and Russells plus the stories of their respective household members. Peggy Scott’s plotline takes a deeper look into African-American society beyond the city. There’s also a new cast of guest stars and supporting characters creating tension for our established characters.
Season one left off with George Russell (Morgan Spector) successfully avoiding financial ruin because of the railroad accident. This season, George’s employees are growing frustrated with working long hours in the steel mills while George is concerned that the possibilities of strikes and boycotts will cost him his own livelihood and those who depend on his railroad company for theirs.
- 10/30/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
“The Gilded Age” is back for a second season, moving to the coveted Sunday night slot on HBO and Max. Creator and co-showrunner Julian Fellowes (“Downton Abbey”) worked with co-showrunner Sonja Warfield to bring the American period drama to life, incorporating historical accuracy with the help of Dr. Erica Dunbar. Directors included Michael Engler, Salli Richardson Whitfield and Deborah Kampmeier.
Season 1 left off with the threat of an opera house battle — not one involving troops and guns, but socialites and wealth. “The Gilded Age” was peppered with historical events and landmarks, including the introduction of electricity by Thomas Edison, and the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. The hand of the Statue of Liberty that holds the torch, which was delivered before the rest of the statue from France, served as a date spot, and Clara Barton and the American Red Cross made an important appearance. Fellowes also injected servant-class stories into the ensemble cast,...
Season 1 left off with the threat of an opera house battle — not one involving troops and guns, but socialites and wealth. “The Gilded Age” was peppered with historical events and landmarks, including the introduction of electricity by Thomas Edison, and the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. The hand of the Statue of Liberty that holds the torch, which was delivered before the rest of the statue from France, served as a date spot, and Clara Barton and the American Red Cross made an important appearance. Fellowes also injected servant-class stories into the ensemble cast,...
- 10/29/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Denée Benton isn’t one to be silenced. The Tony-nominated actress shared an early experience when she was cast in the lead role of Natasha Rostova in the Broadway show “Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812.”
“I had tweeted something about Malcolm X and one of the producers gave me this whole spiel about not burning bridges and how there would be a lot of people who are rooting for me to fail,” Benton said. “It was essentially ‘little Black girl shut up and be grateful.’ It’s 2016, I’m playing this Russian countess, and in your mind, I should be kissing your feet. It has nothing to do with my skill. The fact that my parents paid for my expensive education, but in your mind, I should be thankful for whatever scraps.”
That passion and fire would take Benton far in her career. She would move on to star in another Broadway behemoth,...
“I had tweeted something about Malcolm X and one of the producers gave me this whole spiel about not burning bridges and how there would be a lot of people who are rooting for me to fail,” Benton said. “It was essentially ‘little Black girl shut up and be grateful.’ It’s 2016, I’m playing this Russian countess, and in your mind, I should be kissing your feet. It has nothing to do with my skill. The fact that my parents paid for my expensive education, but in your mind, I should be thankful for whatever scraps.”
That passion and fire would take Benton far in her career. She would move on to star in another Broadway behemoth,...
- 2/15/2022
- by Rebecca Theodore-Vachon
- Indiewire
‘The Gilded Age’ Star Denée Benton on Episode 4 and the Peggy Storyline That Didn’t Originally Exist
Spoilers follow below for “The Gilded Age” Episode 4.
Peggy Scott’s character truly blossoms in “The Gilded Age” Episode 4, which shines a greater light on Scott’s home life and in turn Black American life during the titular era. The HBO drama series hails from “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, but actress Denée Benton previously told TheWrap that as early as the audition process she was asked for her input on the show’s portrayal of Black characters.
In the show’s first episode, Peggy makes the journey from rural Pennsylvania to urban New York City, extending charity and resources to Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) along the way and in turn, Marian offers Peggy the chance to stay with her aunt’s in a well-to-do neighborhood marked by Old Money. Peggy subsequently takes a job as a secretary to Marian’s Aunt Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) in order to...
Peggy Scott’s character truly blossoms in “The Gilded Age” Episode 4, which shines a greater light on Scott’s home life and in turn Black American life during the titular era. The HBO drama series hails from “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, but actress Denée Benton previously told TheWrap that as early as the audition process she was asked for her input on the show’s portrayal of Black characters.
In the show’s first episode, Peggy makes the journey from rural Pennsylvania to urban New York City, extending charity and resources to Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) along the way and in turn, Marian offers Peggy the chance to stay with her aunt’s in a well-to-do neighborhood marked by Old Money. Peggy subsequently takes a job as a secretary to Marian’s Aunt Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) in order to...
- 2/15/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Emmy-winning “Downton Abbey” creator and Oscar-winning “Gosford Park” screenwriter Julian Fellowes is set for a busy 2022 with the release of the “Downton Abbey” film sequel (subtitled “A New Era”) in March and now the launch of his next period television series “The Gilded Age.” Timed to last night’s Season 3 finale of “Succession,” HBO has released a new and full trailer for the 19th-century class drama. The nine-episode first season debuts in January with an ensemble cast that includes Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Denée Benton, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Blake Ritson, Simon Jones, Harry Richardson, Thomas Cocquerel, Jack Gilpin, Cynthia Nixon, and Christine Baranski.
HBO’s official synopsis for “The Gilded Age” reads: “The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, of great conflict between the old ways and brand new systems, and of huge fortunes made and lost. Against the backdrop of this transformation, the series...
HBO’s official synopsis for “The Gilded Age” reads: “The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, of great conflict between the old ways and brand new systems, and of huge fortunes made and lost. Against the backdrop of this transformation, the series...
- 12/13/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
“Downton Abbey” creator and “Gosford Park” screenwriter Julian Fellowes is set for a rousing start to 2022 with the release of the “Downton Abbey” film sequel (subtitled “A New Era”) in March and now the launch of his next period television series “The Gilded Age.” HBO has premiered the first trailer for the 19th-century class warfare drama. The nine-episode first season debuts in January with an ensemble cast that includes Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Denée Benton, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Blake Ritson, Simon Jones, Harry Richardson, Thomas Cocquerel, Jack Gilpin, Cynthia Nixon, and Christine Baranski.
HBO’s official synopsis for “The Gilded Age” reads: “The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, of great conflict between the old ways and brand new systems, and of huge fortunes made and lost. Against the backdrop of this transformation, the series begins in 1882 with young Marian Brook (Jacobson) moving from rural...
HBO’s official synopsis for “The Gilded Age” reads: “The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, of great conflict between the old ways and brand new systems, and of huge fortunes made and lost. Against the backdrop of this transformation, the series begins in 1882 with young Marian Brook (Jacobson) moving from rural...
- 11/18/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on Wednesday, culminating an inauguration week that shaping up to be unlike any other in an age of a global pandemic and political division. The Presidential Inaugural Committee has put together a slimmed-down event that includes reduced-capacity crowds, a virtual parade after the swearing-in and a simulcast TV special to celebrate the occasion, which will also see Kamala Harris become the first Black and first female Vice President.
The official 59th presidential inauguration livestream will be available throughout the day at bideninaugural.org/watch and its YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch channels. Amazon Prime Video, Microsoft Bing, NewsNow from Fox, AT&T U-verse (Channel 212/1212 in Sd/HD) and AT&T DirecTV (Channel 201).
You can also watch all the events live on Deadline here:
Here is Deadline’s complete rundown of the day’s schedule, capping the week’s “America United” activities,...
The official 59th presidential inauguration livestream will be available throughout the day at bideninaugural.org/watch and its YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch channels. Amazon Prime Video, Microsoft Bing, NewsNow from Fox, AT&T U-verse (Channel 212/1212 in Sd/HD) and AT&T DirecTV (Channel 201).
You can also watch all the events live on Deadline here:
Here is Deadline’s complete rundown of the day’s schedule, capping the week’s “America United” activities,...
- 1/20/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Giant publisher Condé Nast today named Dawn Davis editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit, several months after previous editor Adam Rapaport resigned amid a blackface scandal and complaints of racially insensitive behavior at the publication.
Davis, who starts Nov. 2, was most recently vice president and publisher of 37 Ink, an imprint of Simon & Schuster that she founded. Conde Nast praised the 25-year industry vet as “an award-winning publisher and storytelling advocate who, for over two decades, has championed and elevated underrepresented voices.” In her new role, she will oversee the editorial vision of Bon Appétit and Condé Nast other food brands Epicurious, Healthyish and Basically across digital, video, Ott, social and print.
“A proven trailblazer in publishing and known for her innovative approach, Dawn’s ability to find emerging voices and give them the platforms to transform our society is unparalleled,” said Roger Lynch, CEO of Condé Nast.
Rapoport resigned June 8 after...
Davis, who starts Nov. 2, was most recently vice president and publisher of 37 Ink, an imprint of Simon & Schuster that she founded. Conde Nast praised the 25-year industry vet as “an award-winning publisher and storytelling advocate who, for over two decades, has championed and elevated underrepresented voices.” In her new role, she will oversee the editorial vision of Bon Appétit and Condé Nast other food brands Epicurious, Healthyish and Basically across digital, video, Ott, social and print.
“A proven trailblazer in publishing and known for her innovative approach, Dawn’s ability to find emerging voices and give them the platforms to transform our society is unparalleled,” said Roger Lynch, CEO of Condé Nast.
Rapoport resigned June 8 after...
- 8/27/2020
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
History matters. Facts matter. Especially in this moment of racial and political reckoning.
With “Birth of a Nation” as its powerful and wicked origin story, the Hollywood film industry has been shaping the narrative about Black people in America for more than a century. Now as we re-examine many of the false assumptions about American history, Hollywood could play a pivotal role in dismantling tropes it helped create. Some of that work already is being done by filmmakers including Ava DuVernay, Ryan Coogler, Jordan Peele, Lena Waithe, Barry Jenkins and Spike Lee. But we need more.
Studios could seek projects that present a more authentic narrative and reconsider some of the formulas that drive creative decisions. But first the facts need to be right and the history needs to be accurate.
During the last five years I’ve thought about this a lot as I watched “On Her Own Ground:...
With “Birth of a Nation” as its powerful and wicked origin story, the Hollywood film industry has been shaping the narrative about Black people in America for more than a century. Now as we re-examine many of the false assumptions about American history, Hollywood could play a pivotal role in dismantling tropes it helped create. Some of that work already is being done by filmmakers including Ava DuVernay, Ryan Coogler, Jordan Peele, Lena Waithe, Barry Jenkins and Spike Lee. But we need more.
Studios could seek projects that present a more authentic narrative and reconsider some of the formulas that drive creative decisions. But first the facts need to be right and the history needs to be accurate.
During the last five years I’ve thought about this a lot as I watched “On Her Own Ground:...
- 7/24/2020
- by A'Lelia Bundles
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Provenance Films, a subsidiary of Provenance Ventures, has optioned the 2017 book Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge form author Erica Armstrong Dunbar for a feature. Latoya Morgan, whose writing credits include The Walking Dead, Into the Badlands, Shameless, is attached to adapt the screenplay.
The book, which was a National Book Award Finalist in Nonfiction, centers around Ona Judge, George and Martha Washington’s runaway slave who risked everything to escape the nation’s capital and reach freedom. Judge, who was denied freedom, left everything she knew to escape to New England. She became the subject of an intense manhunt led by George Washington, who used his political and personal contacts to recapture his property.
After George Washington was elected president, following the Revolutionary War, he reluctantly left behind his beloved Mount Vernon to serve in the nation’s capital of New York City,...
The book, which was a National Book Award Finalist in Nonfiction, centers around Ona Judge, George and Martha Washington’s runaway slave who risked everything to escape the nation’s capital and reach freedom. Judge, who was denied freedom, left everything she knew to escape to New England. She became the subject of an intense manhunt led by George Washington, who used his political and personal contacts to recapture his property.
After George Washington was elected president, following the Revolutionary War, he reluctantly left behind his beloved Mount Vernon to serve in the nation’s capital of New York City,...
- 7/8/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
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